Fabien Mary
was born in 1978 in Normandy, France, and is nowadays regarded as one of the most gifted and sought after trumpet players in France. At age 34, he has already played and/or recorded with a very long list of musicians such as Johnny Griffin, Michel Legrand, Diana Krall, Harold Mabern, Steve Turre, Wynton Marsalis, Preston Love, Archie Shepp, Benny Golson, Baptiste Trotignon, Steve Williams, René Urtreger, Stephane Belmondo…

Fabien received the coveted Prize Django d’Or Young Talent for his first album “Twilight” (2003), and was four times nominated by the Jazz Academy as “French Musician of the Year” (between 2008 and 2011).

Fabien Mary was born in 1978 and started music at eight through classical studies at the Music Conservatory of Evreux (Normandy). Upon his arrival in Paris at age 20, he quickly became one of the first-call trumpet players and worked with François Théberge, Gérard Badini and Xavier Richardeau (house orchestra of the prestigious Duc des Lombards Jazz Club). In 2000, he joined the Paris Jazz Big Band conducted by Nicolas Folmer and Pierre Bertrand. This big band received two prestigious awards in 2005: a Django d’Or and Victoire de la Musique.

In 2002, Fabien’s first album as a leader was released: « TWILIGHT» (Label Elabeth). He received the very coveted prize Django d’Or Young Talent.

In 2004, Fabien Mary was awarded «Jazz à Juan Révélation » and opened the 2005 festival on the stage of the Pinède Gould with his quartet..

In 2005, his second album « CHESS » was released. The repertoire gathers five compositions & five tunes by Kenny Dorham, Bud Powell or Jimmy Heath.

In 2007, Fabien created « Four and Four», an octet in which Pierrick Pedron (alto sax), David Sauzay (tenor sax & flute), Thomas Savy (baritone sax & bass clarinet) and Jerry Edwards (trombone) joined his quartet. The band played a repertoire composed and arranged by Fabien Mary, as well as some arrangements offered by saxophonist Chris Byars who is leading a similar octet in New York.

An album was released (“FOUR AND FOUR”, Elabeth Records – 2008) and the band intensely toured: Jazz en Tourraine Festival, TanJazz (Morroco), Jazz à Beaune, the Olympia in Paris (“Nuit TSF Jazz”), Jazzin’Cheverny, National Theater of Bayonne…

In 2008, Fabien settled in New York and played, among other venues, at Smoke Jazz club and Smalls Jazz club, with musicians such as David Hazeltine, Steve Ash, Randy Napoleon, Frank Basile, Mike Karn…

In October 2010, Elabeth Records released Fabien’s fourth album as a leader: “QUARTET + ONE”. For this new project, he invited Frank Basile, one of the most talented and appreciated baritone saxophonists in New York (Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Joe Lovano Nonet, the Dave Holland Big Band and Michael Bublé among others).

In September 2011, Fabien moved back to Paris while keeping strong ties with New York. He records the album “CONCEPTION” with a crack rhythm section of Steve Ash (p), David Wong (bass) and Pete Van Nostrand (dr) – and joined by baryton saxophonist phenom Frank Basile on four tracks, Fabien Mary presents a killer program that features some compositions and some obscure gems including Kenny Dorham’s Escapade and Chick Corea’s Chick’s Tune.